Camping as Relaxation - and How to Make the Most of it

We camp, at least in part, in order to relax. But disaster stories abound for families whose weekend of relaxation turned into an uncomfortable, sleepless nightmare. While you can’t control the weather, you can at least make sure you have the right gear. At the top of that list is the quality and functionality of the thing you are sleeping in - your tent. Tents are essential when you are going on a camping trip - without a proper tent, you will find your stay agonising instead of idyllic. A night of good sleep makes all the difference when you are wanting to make the most of nature on a camping trip. Here are some tips that will help maximise the rest and pleasure you get from camping.

Find Out How Much Space Your Need

Camping tents come in a huge range of sizes and styles sizes.How much space do you need and what kind of function do you want your tent to serve? Don’t just factor in your bedding. Factor in everything that you would want to keep accessible and dry in wet weather. Factor in the outdoor cooking and seating - will you need extra shade or protection? Campers bringing their pet dogs along for the camping trip will also need to consider their sizes and where the pets are going to sleep at night.

Consider the Weight of the Tent

The bigger the tent, the heavier it will be. The weight of the tent comes into play when you factor in how you are going to get to the campsite. If you are car camping the weight and size still matters. Someone has to pack up the tent at the end of the trip and load it all back on the car. There is nothing relaxing about ending your camping trip with two hours of labour. So, consider the hands you have on deck to help and ensure you are not making more work for yourself with unnecessary, elaborate extras.

Your Tent Should Not Be Too Fragile

Most tents are made up of synthetic nylon fabric. Just like your bed sheets’ thread count, these nylon fabrics also have their own measurement system. Denier (D) is the unit measuring the weight and thickness of the individual threads used in tent fabric. The lower the number, the lighter you can expect your tent to be. However, these lighter tents will also mean that it is a lot more fragile. If you need to balance between lightweight and quality, you can go for ultralight shelters made up of silicone-impregnated nylon or military-grade fabric.

Do You Have Enough Ventilation?

Consider mesh panels as an essential part of your tent. If your tent has a mesh panel located anywhere within the camp, then you’re good to go. These panels serve more function than just to let you view what’s going on outside - it allows for proper ventilation within the tent, something that you will find important in hot and humid temperatures. These mesh panels can also help in dealing with condensation issues if it gets too humid.

Can You Sit Up in the Tent?

Subtract about 2 or 3 inches from the peak height of your tent - that’s the sitting space available for you inside the tent. Typically, if you can get a height of about 3 feet and 6 inches, you already have enough space to sit upright within the tent. This feature can be important for camping in rainy weathers when you don’t want to lie down all day.

You Might Need More Than Just One Door

Check your tent doors - are you getting a tent just for yourself or for a two-people staying purpose? Two doors could provide you with better protection from the weather outside and prevent the tent from jostling too much should you or your friend need to move out of the tent for any purposes. As to be expected, having two doors will contribute to a higher tent cost as well.

Obtain the Multi-Seasonal Tent Where Possible

3-season and 4-season camping tents can be useful all year round regardless of when you plan to go on your camping trip. These tents will be equipped with meshes, protective covers, and other features to protect you from sun and rain while still providing you with enough ventilation. However, you can definitely expect these tents to be more costly and heavier than normal tents.

Consider Your Floorless Storage Space

This feature can be exceptionally handy for smaller-sized tents where limited storage space is available. The rainfly for tents can be repurposed into a floorless storage space just by holding the ends up with sticks and ropes. This can appear like a mini roof right at the entrance of your tent. This repurposed rain fly, referred to as a vestibule, can keep your items and backpacks away from the rain.

You Will Need Interior Loops & Pockets

These little loops and pockets around the interior of your tent can be handy should you want to hang up a lantern inside the tent or keep your tent organised. Loops along the inside wall of the tents can also be used to hang up a gear loft, suitable for keeping some of the smaller items away from the tent floor. This will give you more space for yourself inside the tent, making the loops a functional addition for smaller tents.

Figure Out the Tent Poles

The tent poles would be connected with an elastic cord to help you to loft the tent up. These poles can be pulled through the nylon sleeves inside the tent, or clipped with some plastic clips. If you are still new to camping, having color-coded tent poles can shorten your tent set up time by leaps and bounds! Try to opt for aluminium tent poles instead of fiberglass types. Even though the fibreglass materials are lighter, they are easier to break and are not as sturdy as the aluminium types.